CHON BURI: Three Nigerian males and one Thai woman have been arrested in Pattaya over a romance-scam network involving mule accounts and cash withdrawals for commissions.
Tourist police and Region 2 investigators conducted a raid on Tuesday night and arrested the four suspects at a hotel in Bang Lamung district. Officers seized 12 mobile phones and 12 bank passbooks.
The Thai suspect, identified only as Patcharin, 41, admitted sourcing bank accounts for the group and handling withdrawals and transfers, earning 2,000 baht per account and a 10% commission, sometimes up to 30,000 baht daily.
Investigators believe the network targeted victims online, funnelling money through mule accounts before transferring funds abroad for laundering.
All suspects were handed over to Bang Lamung police, facing charges including involvement in a criminal association and facilitating illegal bank account use, with further investigations underway.
